Hardy did a fantastic job with what he was given; I just wish that they had fleshed out the character's philosophy the same way they did with Ras in BB.

There are lines sprinkled throughout the film that tease at Bane's way of thinking, but they are never given much depth, which I think is a true shame.

For example, he calls himself "necessary evil" - very interesting idea, never expanded upon.

He also says that "people of their stature deserve to witness the next era of Western civilization", and when Pavel tells him that the bomb will go off after the 5 month period, Bane says, "for the sake of your children Dr. Pavel, I hope it does".

There is somewhat of an Old Testament, quasi-messianic dimension that is hinted at with Bane that we never get to see explored. That would have taken TDKR to a whole other level.

Those are excellent points, and just makes me more sad that they weren't expanded upon and explored.

Those are excellent points, and just makes me more sad that they weren't expanded upon and explored.

I think there's enough there. From the very beginning of the movie, Bane puts the emphasis not on himself or his "brothers" but on the plan they're enacting. Complete dedication to what he's doing, which Alfred points out to Bruce when he says he sees the "power of belief" in him. Granted, as a viewer you do kind of have to go back to Begins and Ra's himself to know what exactly the belief system of the League is, but that's not wholly unlike other aspects of the movie that rely on past information conveyed in the previous films to fully work.

__________________

Life was such a wheel that no
man could stand upon it for long.
And it always, at the end, came
round to the same place again.

I think there's enough there. From the very beginning of the movie, Bane puts the emphasis not on himself or his "brothers" but on the plan they're enacting. Complete dedication to what he's doing, which Alfred points out to Bruce when he says he sees the "power of belief" in him. Granted, as a viewer you do kind of have to go back to Begins and Ra's himself to know what exactly the belief system of the League is, but that's not wholly unlike other aspects of the movie that rely on past information conveyed in the previous films to fully work.

Fair points. Though one possibility we could have seen would have been is deeper into Bane's side as a comparison and contrast to Bruce, as Bane is almost the anti-Batman and an image of what Bruce could have become had he chosen and not been guided to and on the right path.

Bane seems dumbfounded on how Batman escaped the prison. "But I never escaped" he tells him. I think in a lot of ways Bane never escaped the prison, psychologically. After numerous viewings, it makes a lot of sense that Bane never escaped and so, in his mind, kept the prison pit as the worst inescapable hell on earth. If he broke out, it would be just another challenge he overcame.

Hardy was indeed restricted in what he could emote with his face almost the entire film. Forcing Hardy's ingenuity to then craft a physical performance that I thought was spellbinding. It's not great acting; but like Robert patrick as T1000, it was an uniquely interesting one. And I'm not sure if, without the restriction of his face, we would've gotten the performance we did. Art from adversity and all that.

the last bond movie was bond as a broken man fighting to get his life back. the whole movie was about how he was washed up and should have "stayed dead".

batman like bond is best when he is kept grounded and real. i mean they are a lot a like, both are driven men that come from tragic childhoods.

I don't necessarily think Batman's always best when he's "grounded and real." Grounded maybe, but I don't think you have to be all that real. (Let's face it, Nolan wasn't all that real, just look at Two-Face for that.)

But I think there are a lot of characters that would work amazingly well on film that aren't realistic in the slightest. Mr. Freeze for example. The trick is to keep it darker in tone.

I wouldn't mind seeing the next batch of films be more like TAS in style, and slightly darker. Basically like the Arkham games. That way we can have the more fantasic villains like Freeze, just handled in a serious way.

I don't necessarily think Batman's always best when he's "grounded and real." Grounded maybe, but I don't think you have to be all that real. (Let's face it, Nolan wasn't all that real, just look at Two-Face for that.)

But I think there are a lot of characters that would work amazingly well on film that aren't realistic in the slightest. Mr. Freeze for example. The trick is to keep it darker in tone.

I wouldn't mind seeing the next batch of films be more like TAS in style, and slightly darker. Basically like the Arkham games. That way we can have the more fantasic villains like Freeze, just handled in a serious way.

I think by real he means human, rather than making him the Terminator in a Batsuit. I may be misinterpreting it but that's what I got out of it.